The End is the Beginning is the End preview
by Sarah LoTuS
Summary: [On hold for the foreseeable future] This story is very alternate universe! The premise is that Rachel and Frank were married, and then got divorced before the beginning of the Water Rats series. If you wanna know how that would work, just read it!


The End Is The Beginning Is The End...

**The End is the Beginning is the End**

Author's Note: Sorry if you feel like you're starting this story in the middle (because you pretty much are). Don't worry, you'll get over it ;) I felt that the "episode one" didn't really need to be written (unlike George Lucas). 

**_There's so many things you should have told her_**   
**_But night after night you're willing to hold her_**   
**_Just hold her_**   
**_Tears on your shoulder_**

**Part One: The End**

**_Don't think I can't feel that there's something wrong_**   
**_You've been the sweetest part of my life so long_**   
**_I look in your eyes, there's a distant light_**   
**_And you and I know there'll be a storm tonight_**   
**_This is getting serious_**   
**_Are you thinking 'bout you or us_**   
**__**   
**_Don't say what you're about to say_**   
**_Look back before you leave my life_**   
**_Be sure before you close that door_**   
**_Before you roll those dice_**   
**_Baby think twice_**

"Get out." Her voice was low and dangerous.   
"Rach--"   
"No, Frank. No more excuses, no more bullshit. There's the door."   
"If I go, I won't come back," he warned. "I don't think I can take any more of this."   
"Me neither," Rachel agreed, more calmly, but no less angry. "Just go."   
Without a word, he pulled his coat from the wardrobe, and slammed the front door on his way out.

**_After the smoke clears, when it's down to you and I_**   
**_When the sun appears, and there's nothing left but goodbye_**   
**_We'll just turn and walk away, how could we let it end like this?_**   
**_Just turn and walk away, should we seal it with a kiss?_**   
**_It's too late, now you're out and on the run_**   
**_It's too late, held up in love without a gun_****__**

Out of the door, and out of her life.   
~~ * ~~

"Frank," Kevin greeted, tightening the belt on his dressing gown. "You couldn't have called first?"   
"Nope, sorry. I need a place to stay."   
Kevin sighed. "Again? Why don't you just apologise to her and save yourself the move?"   
Frank shook his head. "Not this time. It's over." As nonchalant as he sounded, his devastation was obvious.   
"She'll change her mind," Kevin assured his older brother.   
Frank's eyes were steely. "I won't," he said.

**_Hey, if we can't find a way out of these problems_**   
**_Then maybe we don't need this_**   
**_Standing face to face, enemies at war we build defenses_**   
**_And secret hiding places_**

"Is she decent?"   
"What?" Kevin frowned, confused.   
"The girl you're hiding in there. Is she dressed, or do I have to wait outside?"   
"Oh." Kevin glanced backward. "No, you can come in."   
~~ * ~~

When the front door slammed, Rachel flopped onto the bed. She lay there for about half an hour, not moving, just staring at the ceiling as tears streamed silently down her face. Finally she sighed. There was no use being sorry now. She got up and began to pull his clothes out of the wardrobe, throwing them into a heap on the bed.   
Shoving them into plastic bags, she carried them down the stairs and dumped them in the hall. Gradually she collected all his things; his stereo, his television, his footy videos. She put everything that belonged to him in the hall with the clothes.   
When she'd finished, Rachel sat on the couch in front of the empty space where the tv used to be, and pulled out her mobile phone. She typed in a quick SMS message; "I'll be out until 5 o'clock. Pick up your things before I get back." Then she input Frank's number and hit send.   
Slinging her handbag over her shoulder, Rachel grabbed her car keys and headed out the door.   
~~ * ~~

Frank stopped talking mid-sentence and picked up his beeping mobile phone. He read the message on the screen and sighed.   
"What is it?" Kevin asked.   
"I'm going out for a couple of hours. You two can get back to what you were doing before I came in, if you like." He tucked his mobile back in his pocket and left without another word.   
When he arrived back home, Rachel's car was missing from the driveway, as he'd expected. He backed his car in and opened up the boot before unlocking the door and going inside.   
He saw the bags of clothes and videos immediately. So, an amputation was what she wanted. Well, it was probably for the best. He started loading his car, wondering why he hadn't asked his brother to give him a hand. **_Because I wanted to be alone to think, probably._**   
She'd been pretty thorough. In the space of less than an hour, his presence was wiped from their house.   
Almost.   
Their wedding picture still sat on the shelf in the living room. He picked it up carefully, as if it would shatter in his hands. Like the marriage itself.

**_It was all so simple when, you were to be queen, and I'd be your king_**   
**_I guess the dream got lost, cos baby you're still you, and I'm still me_**   
**_Now letting go is always the hardest part to fight_**   
**_When we both know we're just two more victims of the night_**   
**_It's too late, too late to wonder why_**   
**_Much too late to save a love that's died_**

He sank on to the couch, clutching the picture frame, and let the tears come.   
~~ * ~~

Frank looked at his watch. Four thirty. He'd better get going, she'd be back soon. The last thing he wanted was another shouting match. He started to put the picture back, but he decided not to. She could keep the wedding album, but he wanted the picture.   
Carefully he pulled his house key off his keyring and left it on the table, then he locked the door from the inside and pulled it shut behind him.   
~~ * ~~ 

**Part Two: Epilogue**

"Hi Rachel," Kevin greeted, finding her on his doorstep.   
"Hi," she smiled. "Is Frank here? I need to talk to him."   
Kevin suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. "No, he isn't."   
"When will he be back?"   
"He won't be."   
Rachel frowned. "But he always comes here."   
Kevin sighed. "He got to a transfer, Rach. To the water police, in Fremantle. Western Australia."   
Rachel felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. "Oh," she managed.   
"Do you want his address? He'd probably like to hear from you."   
Rachel shook her head. "I think he's made it pretty clear that he doesn't. Anyway, I gotta go," she said quickly, unable to stand the look of pity on his face.   
Kevin nodded, and Rachel turned and walked away.

**_Here I go again I promised myself_**   
**_I wouldn't think of you today_**   
**_But I'm standing at your doorway_**   
**_Calling out your name 'cos I can't move on_**

~~ * ~~

Rachel threw herself into her work. Within two years, she had earned a promotion to Senior Constable. Unfortunately it was about that time the divorce papers arrived.   
There was no explanation from Frank, no accompanying letter. Just divorce papers from some solicitor in Perth with little stickers on the side to point out where she should sign. So she signed. He'd probably met someone else and wanted his freedom back. She tried not to think about it.

**_Ever since you've been gone the lights go out the same_**   
**_The only difference is you call another name_**   
**_To your love, to your lover now_**   
**_The lover after me_**

The next day she sealed the papers in the convenient reply-paid envelope that had come with them and dropped them in a post box on her way to work.   
On her way home from work, she called in to see a lawyer, a man named Jonathon Goldstein, and told him she wanted to change her name back to Friedman.

**Part Three: The Beginning**

"Detective Senior Constable Rachel Friedman, I'd like you to meet your new partner, Detective Senior Constable Frank Holloway."   
Rachel and Frank stared at each other.   
Jeff sensed the tension in the air. "You two already know each other?" he asked.   
Rachel spoke up quickly, "Yeah, we used to work together about fifteen years ago."   
Well, it was the truth, if not the whole of it.   
Frank looked at her for a long moment, then added, "But I seem to remember I outranked you, then."   
Rachel sighed, relieved.   
"So, where's my office?" Frank asked.   
"Just down the hall. I'll show you," Rachel answered.   
As soon as they were out of earshot, Rachel muttered, "Thanks."   
Frank tried not to stare, but he couldn't seem to get enough of looking at her. "I got the impression you didn't want me to mention it," he explained.   
"It's just that if Jeff knew, he would probably not want us working together," she answered carefully.   
They reached the office, and Rachel indicated the empty desk waiting for Frank.   
Frank took a deep breath. "How do you feel about it?" he asked.   
"What?"   
"Do you want me to transfer somewhere else?"   
Rachel thought about it for a minute, then shook her head. "We can both be professional about it can't we?" she answered, surprising herself. "Besides, then I'd only get someone else, and I hate working with strangers."   
Frank laughed. "It's been ten years. You don't think I've changed?"   
"Well, you look a little different."   
"More wrinkles, more grey hair?"   
"Something like that."   
"You know you look just as... the same as you did then."   
Rachel sat down, not looking at him. They'd stumbled into dangerous territory. "Thanks," she answered quietly. "Would you like the station tour now or later?"   
"Might as well do it now," Frank answered, to cover his discomfort.   
Rachel motioned to the door.   
"Ladies first."   
Rachel rolled her eyes, but led the way.   
~~ * ~~

**Want more? [Email me][1], I just might let you peek at another bit ;)******

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